Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-10-23
ship you, and hope to make you so happy

Hopeless and helpless she felt herself
and here wss q refuge and luxurious
home offered by one she knew well, and
who told her daily Of his love, though she
had none to offer in return.
The thought flashed through her mind
for second, but second only, to be
thrust aside with intense dismay that il
should have occurred to her al all, and
the next words of Sir Brisco reused her
energieg-even her ire.
"Upon my soul, Melanie," said he, re-
gerding her earnestly and commiserst-
inglY, 81 pity you"
! "But won't be pitied, or married out
of pity, by you, Sir Brisco, or enyone!"
! she exclaimed, with g fash in her dark
eyes. SIN Short" she added, bringing
all her courage to the sticking point,
knowing that she had no one to defend
her or advise her kindly-ssve poor
Reggie-"do not talk to me OF marriage
again; because, If you do, shall have to
ssk you plainly to cease visiting my uncle
or me-"
Sir Brisco took up his hat, but laid it
down again, and still fingered irresolute-
~.
"Ycu cannot even like me?" he said,
reproschfully.
"As friend, oh yes"
"But-as husband, Meianle?"
"Never. You are thousand times too
good for me-"
"NeVer?"
"You force me to speak plainly; rude
ly. perhaps" she added in broken voice,
while colouring painfully.
Timidly, as young lover might have
done, the old man stood now drawing his
riding-giOves on and OF, while Melanie
bowed her cheek-wet with tears OF shr er
veXation noW-upon her white palm, and
bent her eyes upon the soreIy faded car
pet. How sWeetly soft he thought she
looked.
"And you can like me as friend, Me-
lanie?" he asked.
81 have said So; and she gave him her
left hand in token thereof. He clasped
it firmly, and his grasp seemed so honest
that she gathered little courage and
comfort therefrom. And then he bowed
over it with old-fashioned courtesy, in
herited perhaps from his father, who had
been at court when George III. was King,
and Elliot was defending the Rock of
Gibraltar, and when powdered wigs and
small swords were worn. fI shall ever
esteem you as the best Of friends-to be
more would but work misery for all"
81 thank you, MeIanie; but find it Diff
cult now, after ali have said and all l
have hoped, to slide back into mere
friendship; but when you have had time
to reflect, perhaps you will not be so
cruel to me, and forgive the pain have
caused you"
81 have nothing to forgive, Sir Brisco."
HA-I In bo
fsct of knowing you, Melanie; and let
the worst come to the worst, hope you
will never deprive me Of your friendship,
ana permit me to prove mine by making
you happy il at any time can do So"
And linking that to urge more then
would be unwise, he kissed the hand he
had retained and bowed himself out,
leaving Melsnie sunk in thought.
His reiterated offers thrust an idea
upon her. If she married him-suppose
that idea-she could not help specializing
on the future, that future In which Mon
tague Lonsdsle could have no part; and
she shuddered.
She was barely twenty. Sir Brisco was
over sixty. When she was forty he would
be an old man, within five years Of ninety,
if spared-Wheeled abont in an
armchair like Reggie, in second
childhood, fed on spoon diet, helpless,
toothless, too old even to be peeVish; and
for years before that she must have led
the lite Of nurse. It was dreadful
forecast terrible picture.
On the other hand, Sir Brisco viewed
the case less severely, and after time
ceased to feel how acutely the youth and
bloom Of the two girls, Melanie and Amy,
had made him feel, at first, the weight of
his own grey hairs and more than sixty
years.
Rublcund and white moustached, with
thick stubhly locks, his rather rotund
outline coptrassed curiously, in the eyes
Of the former, with the tall, military
figure of him who was SO far away, the
brorzed face, the clearly-cut profile and
fine young face, clean shsven all save the
smart moustache, the tender hazel eyes
aud closely-cropped dark Drown hair.
The privileged way in which Sir Brisco
sometimes dropped in at Rose Cottage,
even after this important interview,
proved a genuine source of worry to
MelsnIe, and she found the necessity Of
avoiding him whenever she could do so,
without being too marked in manner.
She marvelled that well-bred man
should continue his visits thus; but she
forgot her own power Of subtle fascina-
ton.
Amy Brendon, who, we have said, came
much schooner now, and whose lively
little speeches, quick, bright chances, and
had proved q new experience
to Sir Brisco, correctly trained man of
the world, and had fascinated him greatly,
saw how changed Melanie had become,
with an almost entire avoidance Of all
confidence In her as friend, so far as
Lonsdale was concerned; ana how each
day seemed to be passed in alternate
forced excitement or hopeless apathy,
with a re 3tless unessiness Of eye and
voice.
OF Lonsdale, Melanie scarcely spoke,
even il he was casually alluded to. Thus,
to Amy it seemed as If Sir Brisco was
sliding by adoption in his place.
The neighborhood soon became full Of
rumors, though Melanie never heard
them; but of her new engagement, If such
existed, she never spoke, and Amy, with
all her love for her, felt 8 strange Difficult
ty in approaching the subject.
"Forgive my question, dear" said Amy
one day, wresthing her arms round her
and looking into her pale sweet face that
expressed so much Of suffering about the
eyes and corners of the lips, "but, Mela-
ME, why are you so changer"
sam I?"
"Yes. my darling"
"In fsce?"
"Yes; in voice even-every way"
81 don't wonder st that; So Jon, too,
see it, Amy?"
=